Medications comprise a large component of health care. A limiting factor to the effectiveness of many medications is patient compliance with the prescriptions. Medications typically must be taken at specific intervals based on their pharmacokinetics to maximize plasma levels, and any substantial deviation from the prescribed interval may result in ineffectiveness or adverse effects. As the patient population ages, the incidence of medication errors increases.
A prior invention by Wilson and Petersen as disclosed in Canadian Patent Application No. 2,353,350 of Jul. 20, 2001 describes a packaging device for monitoring use of the contents of blister packages. The packaging device comprises a package, an electrically conducting path and an electronic chip embedded in, or supported by, the package. The package has one or more sealable receptacles for accommodating contents. The electrically conducting path is associated with each receptacle. It changes its characteristics when the receptacle is opened after being sealed. The electronic chip monitors the change in the characteristics of the conducting path, and generates content use data when the change in the characteristics of the conducting path is detected.
One practical difficulty with the Wilson and Petersen invention is that the electronic traces which establish the electronic path must be oriented accurately relative to the blisters or receptacles, between the contents and the lidstock or backing. A second difficulty lies in connecting the electrical traces to the electronic chip, which incorporates an integrated circuit (IC). A third-difficulty lies in the necessity of redesigning widely used form-fill-seal machines to carry out these functions.
It is desirable to have a simpler solution to the integration of electronic monitoring devices with the blister package, preferably so that widely existing form-fill-seal machines can still be used with little or no modification thereto.